When we’re tasked with keeping these precious little bodies safe, the world can feel like a more dangerous place, and we adjust our behaviors accordingly. Social psychology research suggests that parents whose parental role is “salient”—or more central to their identity—perceive greater risk, make more risk-averse choices, and trust strangers less than non-parents or parents whose role is less salient. “A risk-vigilant mindset,” say researchers Richard Eibach and Steven Mock, “may be an important psychological adaptation to the parental role.” Children need parents who can protect them, and
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